What storytelling mistakes hurt your public speaking engagement?

Storytelling is a great way to get audience attention, but it must be relevant to the objective of your speech or presentation. Is it a story by itself, or within the main framework of your speech? That affects how much time you have for the detailing and telling. The more time you have, the more embroidering of actions and characters, even sound effects and physical movements, across the stage or your Zoom screen. Less time? Trim the fact and deliver the bare bones to get your point across. Most important factor? The language, voice modulation and pregnant pauses. Combine these to become a winning storyteller.

One thing that really helps is to address "What's In It For Me" for your audience. Because of the already plummeting attention span, you will be better off if you let them know why this is worth their while.

We are the descendants of storytellers. From tales of celestial realms that ignite hope, to chilling chronicles of netherworlds that evoke caution, and narratives of our Earth that fuel curiosity. In every presentation, identify the essence of your story: is it one of inspiration, warning, or discovery? Connect deeply, for these tales aren't mere words – they are the lenses through which our minds visualize and comprehend the message you share.

Agreed, engaging storytelling is paramount. It has been since the earliest days of human civilization. Tribe leaders would tell stories to cultivate a strong sense of community and stick together to survive. As a speaker what's key and most important is solving your audience's problem. It's easy to fall into the trap of sharing a story about yourself and talking about yourself and your own personal story. For anyone who isn't a celebrity, their story needs to be relatable and relevant to the audience. The best way to make storytelling about your audience, instead of yourself is to make the story about them. For example, "I had just reached the top of Mount Everest." Instead say, "Imagine you have just reached the top of Mount Everest"

Ask your self these questions What do you want to achieve with your story? Who are you telling your story to? If there is anything that doesn't contribute to your purpose or is of value to the audience? Think about the answers to these questions will improve the relevancy of the story

Primary homework before storytelling should include analysis of the audience group you are going to address- their age, their backgrounds, their needs etc Connecting with the audience with the relevant story is essential. If addressing a young audience , your story should be apt to that age group . If addressing business groups it should make them see themselves somewhere in the part of the story and the connection will be much better. Finally key takeaways should be summarised at the end to leave a long lasting effect.

The criticism that a story should not be "too complicated" might underestimate the audience's ability to engage with complex ideas. Some stories aim to challenge the audience, requiring them to piece together elements that aren't presented straightforwardly. Depending on the context, this can offer the audience a more rewarding experience.

The best way to avoid a story that lacks structure is to adhere to a well-defined story structure, such as the classic narrative arc. Ensure your story has a clear beginning (exposition), middle (rising action and climax), and end (resolution). Clearly establish the conflict or challenge, introduce a turning point that builds tension, and provide a resolution that imparts the lesson or outcome to the audience. Solidifying this structure dramatically improves the impact and clarity of your storytelling, making it engaging, enticing, exciting, and memorable.

A clean and simple storytelling structure is key to being memorable, engaging, and relevant. Know your audience and what message you want to convey. Follow the arc of the Situation - what is happening in the story, set up for why it is relevant. Behavior - what you want to highlight is the change, or the adoption, highlighting the "why" of the story. And what is the Outcome of the actions taken or what happened when you applied what you are trying to teach to the audience (through the story)? S-B-O is a great tool not just for storytelling, but for reminding people how simple it is to identify behaviors or what you want to come of the story.

I agree! Including excessive details or going off on tangents can overwhelm your audience and dilute the impact of your story. Focus on the key points and keep your story concise and streamlined.

The best way to ensure your storytelling invokes emotion is to immerse your audience in the story's emotional core. Use sensory details, vivid language, and an expressive voice to make your narrative come alive. Help your audience feel the emotions, visualize the scenes, and experience the sensations you're describing. Show them the stakes and consequences of the story, making it relatable and engaging. By connecting with the audience's emotions, your storytelling draws them in deeply and becomes compelling, emotionally charged, and memorable.

We have stepped into the realm of one-on-one, personal marketing in today's data landscape. A reader/viewer/follower perceives your brand's story/content on the same feed right after they see content from friends family and influencers. So a brand occupies the space of a person. A simple question to consider is if my brand were a person, who would they be? Emotional connection is 101 digital content creation today. An emotion in brand storytelling is an extension of the brand's persona. This is part of the brand identity today which is not limited to the color, font or image choices alone. To make an emotional connection, build a detailed brand voice, situational,and responsive! Case and point: Witty Wendy's on X, Coke with Happiness!

To add emotion you can use vivid language and sensory details humor or suspense pace the story appropriately use body language to express emotion. The important thing is to get the audience to experience the emotion

Authenticity as a speaker is also about vulnerability. Your vulnerability and humility to share your mistakes and your learnings from them to help and connect with others going through a relatable experience. If you make a big challenge that you’ve overcome sound easy and come out sounding like a superhero, you’ll lose connection with the audience. They’ll feel like they can’t follow in the footsteps of your story, risk less likability because you sound too perfect and not authentic. Being vulnerable in your authenticity is key to getting your message across.

Authenticity to me as a speaker means being able to connect, be vulnerable, and be engaging enough that they think out of everyone in the room, I am only speaking to them. It is why knowing your audience and why the story matters is so critical in preparing for your speech. Knowing where it is you can draw your own emotions/personal connection to the story is key. Can you use the story to highlight areas where you have struggled? Where someone has grown. Identify obstacles. Stories when told with authenticity can truly highlight the path to where you want to lead them, but you have to get them to want to follow you first.

Not all storytellers have stories. Not all stories are mine to tell. As digital marketers, we understand the power of authentic stories. We have seen this evolve from reviews, and testimonials to influencer stories! Leverage real stories and build authentic influencer collaborations. A good storyteller facilitates a good story, a simple way to tell a credible story is to provide a platform for the story to be told firsthand! Not all stories have to be told by the brand, instead, we could facilitate it through the brand's platform and resources.

To ensure authenticity 1) focus on the details and link them to your own experiences. 2) avoid cliches and stereotypes 3) draw on your own feelings about related events

The best way to ensure your storytelling does not lack interaction is to actively engage with your audience. Use questions, pauses, gestures, and eye contact to invite participation and make them part of the storytelling experience. Encourage them to imagine, reflect, or share their own stories related to yours. Create moments of suspense, surprise, or humor to draw in, keep, and captivate their attention. By involving your audience and making them feel like participants, your storytelling becomes dynamic, memorable, and impactful.

I am not sure that interaction is really the objective. The objective is to get the audience engaged with the story so it becomes memorable. One way to determine if you audience is engaged is to look for nonverbal cues such as nodding, smiling, or leaning forward.

People feel the truth! Storytelling first tip is to “tell what you believe” Translating ideas and thoughts for people always had been our way of communication towards creating anything (relationship, products, etc..) We might have a great stories but not convincing enough and the main reason is that we don’t have it inside. Believing in our ideas will make our storytelling naturally connecting with others!

An effective opening is essential for attracting listeners and establishing rapport. If the first part of your story isn't interesting or captivating, your audience may lose interest quickly. Think about beginning with a captivating hook or interesting narrative to grab their attention.

Lack of urgency. Urgency is the foundation and fuel of all those points listed above. What makes what you're sharing important? Not everything has or needs the urgency of a four-alarm fire. But why should someone care? What is the power that's going to spark the relevance, structure, emotion, authenticity, and interaction mentioned above? If you don't infuse why it's important enough for you to write about it into the story itself, what does that leave for anyone to feel when they read it?

Storytelling is a common public speaking tool. However, in my experience, I've notice speakers use stories that distracted from the message the speaker was trying to convey. Stories invoke emotion, remind people of their own situations, and give additional insight into the speaker's life. These effects are inevitable. Therefore, storytelling should help keep the speaker's message on track. As a speaker, you want your audience to be in the present moment. You don't want them to go down any mental rabbit-hole which your story might have encouraged while you are speaking.